Half to george draper



(No Model.) 0 F ROPER 2 Sheath-Sheet 1. VOTING MACHINE.

Patented July 11 1893.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. F. ROPBR.

VOTING- MACHINE.

No, 501,443. Patented July 11, 1893.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIlI/Ill/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. ROPER, OF IIOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOGEORGE DRAPER do SONS, OF SAME PLACE.

VOTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,443, dated July 11,1893.

Application filed January 31, 1893. Serial No. 460,209. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. ROPER, of Hopedale, county of Worcester,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in VotingApparatus, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and figures onthe drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to voting or balloting machines and has for itsobject the production of counting mechanism by which an honest ballotcan be had, and the result registered, ready for inspection by theproper persons, immediately upon the closing of the polls, the ballotbeing secret, the said counting mechanism being so arranged that thevoter may change his vote if, after casting it, he so desires, beforeleaving the voting booth, while at the same time the same candidate ordifferent candidates for the same office cannot be voted for more thanonceby the voter, the mechanism being provided with a releasing device,to operate upon the exit of the voter from the booth.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in certain novelconstructions and combinations of parts, to be hereinafter described,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is an elevation of acounting mechanism embodying my invention,taken on the line 00-01:, Fig. 2, the front of the casing being removed.Fig. 2 is a section thereof on the line y-y Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 3 and 3",are details of the units indicator, to be described. Figs. 4: and l areelevation and plan views respectively of one of the actuating andlooking gears. Fig. 5, in elevation and partly broken out, represents aninclosing case adapted to be secured to one of the walls of a suitablebooth, with the counting mechanism embodying myinvention indicatedthereon. Figs. 6 and 7 are details to be referred to. Fig. 8 is aperspective view of the cam looking plate detached. Fig. 9 is ahorizontal sectional view of a portion of a voting booth or room to bereferred to.

- In carrying out my invention I prefer to make use of a booth orchamber containing the operating parts, which the voter enters toindicate and register his choice, and I have so arranged the parts thatafter the voter has registered a vote for one candidate, a second votefor the same or another candidate for the same office will be preventedduring the time that the voter remains in the booth or chamber, but thevoter may change his vote, if he so desires, before leaving, or he maywithdraw his vote altogether, and when the voter leaves the booth allthe counting mechanism is put in condition for the entry of the nextvoter. I prefer to employ a booth or completely inclosed chamber whichmay be such as shown in United States Patent No. $15,549, dated November19, 1889, and to which reference may be had.

I have herein shown abase or support (0 for the several countingmechanisms, which base may be fastened to one of the walls or partitionsof the booth or chamber, and parallel to and a short distance from saidbase I have secured a cover or top at, these with the parts a, a,forming a casing to inclose the mechanisms.

Screws 2, 2, normally retain the top in place, as shown in Figs. 2 and5.

Each counting mechanism consists of a supporting post Z), see Figs. 1and 2, herein shown as shouldered at its inner end to enter a hole inthe base a, and threaded at b, to receive thereon a nut whereby the postis held rigidly in place, the outer end of the post extending beyond thecover or top and headed, as at b The actuator for the counter consistsof a disk 0 having a long sleeve-like hub 0' surrounding the post fromthe base to the head b the under side of the disk having a projection cthereon near its periphery, for a purpose to be described, the outer endof said hub being preferably reduced to receive thereon a handlec seeFig. 5, held in place on the hub by a pin or stud 3. A plate or lever cpivoted at c to the base and adapted to swing between the base andthe'disk c, has upon its surface adjacent to the disk limiting stops 0,0 the inner side of the stop 0 being oppositely inclined to form faces6, '7, see Fig. 8, the inner face 8 of the stop 0 being also inclinedand substantially parallel to the face 7, to thus form a cam surface onsaid plate 0 the plate forming a locking device, as will be described,tolimit the rotation of the actuator, and thereby lock the countingmechanism.

The base a is recessed at a ,see Figs. 1 and 2, the recess extendingunder and beyond the counting mechanism, and, as herein shown, a plunger01 is pivoted to the under side of the locking plate at d, the plungerresting in the recess,as clearlyshown in Fig. 1,and having its free endenlarged at d and reduced beyond the enlargement as at d the edgesthereof being inclined or beveled toward the extremity of the plunger.

A recess or groove a extends from top to bottom of the base a, seedotted=lines, Fig. 5, intersecting the several recesses a and a-seriesof slotted slides 6, having beveled inner corners 6*, are retained inthe groove by bridge-pieces e overlapping the adjacent ends of theslides and held in place by headed screws 6 extended through the-slotsinto the base a.

As herein shown there are two slides e, and three counting mechanisms A,B, and C, ar-

ranged in a row or column, see Fig. 5, and

whatever the number of counting mechanisms in the row, there will be thesame number of' slides, less one. Each row represents an office orposition which is to be filled, and the same is indicated in the space Aat the top of the row, as for instance, by the words For governor, &c.,and the name and political party of each candidate are indicated inthespaces A, B and 0', adjacent to the counting mechanisms. A fixed stop 6"is placed in the groove a at top and bottom, see dotted lines, Fig. 5,thus limiting the space in which the slides 6 may be moved.

In Fig. 5, the arrangement is such that two out of three candidates maybe voted for, as for instance, where two presidential electors are to bechosen, and there are three candidates. This is made possible byinserting the short slides e, shown in Fig. 7, so that when the enlargedportions 01 of two of the plungers have been moved into the positionshown in Fig. 5, by the mechanisms B and O, to be described, the spacebetween the stops 6" is so nearly filled that the beveled end only oftheplunger belonging to mechanism A can be inserted, preventing movementof the corre-' sponding plate 0 and leaving the stop 0 thereon in thepath of the projection c of the actuator, to stop its rotation, andconsequently the counting mechanism of which it forms a part. If thelong slides 6, shown separately in Fig. 6, be used, the space leftbetween the ends will be long enough to admit the enlarged part of onlyone of the plungers d, and the beveled ends of the others, permittingthe actuator of only one mechanism to be operated to register a vote.The slides e are similar to the slides c in every respect, save thatthey are longer, and they are used when only one of several candidatesfor an office is to be voted for by the person voting, and the slots insaid slides permit them to be moved in one or the other direction pastthe screws 6 In the casting of a vote the handle 0 0E the countingmechanism opposite the name of the candidate for whom the vote is to becast is turned by the voter in the direction of the arrow 20, see Fig.5, until the parts have assumed the position shown in the mechanisms Band C, or until the projection c is stopped by engaging the end 9 of thestop 0, the part d of the plunger having been moved forward between thebeveled ends of the adjacent slides, and separated them, as shown, thebeveled end (1 then projecting beyond the slides as in Fig. 1, andagainsta cam ffast on a rod or shaftf' extended from end to end of thecasing, the base being cutaway atf to permit free movement of the camwhen turned bythe shaft, which has secured to one end projecting beyondthe casing a crank or similar device f, by which the shaft may berotated, and in practice this shaft will be rotated in the direction ofthe arrow 30, Fig. 2, to push any projecting plungers back into theposition shown at A, Fig. 5, the means for rotating the shaftbeingactuated by the voter as he leavesthe booth and moves the closure F, seeFig. 9, which through the bent lever M, link N,twoarmed lever 50, andreciprocating rod 51, is connected bya pin and slot to an arm 52 on andto, move each of a series of shafts whereby all the countin mechanismsare put into normal position, ready to be operated by the next voter.

The particular construction of the counting mechanism herein shown willnow be described, a detailed description of one answering for all.

A circular disk or plate 9 see'Figs. 3, 8 and 3 is shown in Figs. 1 and2 as having a long hub g' extended beyond each side of the disk, saidhub being free to rotate on the hub c of the actuator, between the disk0 and top plate ct, best shown in Fig. 2, and disks 71-, t', k, of thesame external diameter as the disks 0 and g, have concentric hubs7t,wt", 7e, respectively, theinner end of each hub resting on the diskof the inclosed adjacent hub, and the outer end resting against theplate a the hubs g, h and i being of sufficient thickness to have aseries of numbers ranging from O to 9 indicated on their outer ends, asshown inFig. 1, said hubs and their numbers being units, tens andhundreds indicators respectively, while the series representingthousands is indicated on the outer face of the disk 70. \Vhen the platea, is in place, during the voting, only the units indicator can be seenthrough the opening g and the voter cannot determine how many votes acandidate has received,but he can tell when he has moved the unitsindicator forward one step toregister his own vote. Each of the disks g,h and i has a series of twenty teeth 7L2, 8.10., upon its inner side,see Figs. 2, 3, and 3 and upon the outer side two teeth g h 850., thedisks being recessed between the said teeth, as at g in Figs. 3 and 3for a purpose to be described, while the disk has twenty teeth k uponits inner side, and the disk 0 has two teeth and a recess, not shown, onits outer side, similar to the teeth and recess shown in Fig. 3.

From an inspection of Fig. 2,it will be seen that each sleeve-like hubforms the axis for the next one surrounding it, each being normally freeto rotate in either direction with relation to the others, the disksattached to the hubs rotating therewith.

In order to move the units indicator step by step by the actuator, andthereby actuate the other indicators, as the votes increase, a post 7%is shown herein as secured to the base or adjacent to the disks, andupon which four similar star wheels m, m m and m are rotatable, seeFigs. 1 and 2, said wheels being separated by suitable collars orwashers m Each wheel has eight teeth, four of which, as n, are as wideas the thickness of the wheel, the other four teeth at alternating withthe former and being less in width, see Figs. 2, 5t and at, all of theteeth having the same radial length, each wheel being so sustained uponthe post an that the plane of its outer face is just beyond the plane ofthe inner toothed face of the corresponding indicator disk. The plane ofthe inner face of each wheel is beyond the plane of the outer recessedface of the next disk, as shown best in Fig. 2, so that one of the wideteeth 01 can enter between two adjacent disks only when two adjacentteeth on the inner face of one disk are just opposite to the pair ofteeth on the outer face of the next disk, the recess in the disk facebetween the said latter pair of teeth permitting one of the teeth n toenter. The said tooth n will, when moved, engage the teeth on bothdisks, and will move them simultaneously through a certain space.

It should be here mentioned that the outer face of the actuator disk 0has two such teeth thereon, and a recess, the same not being shown inthe drawings to avoid confusion. Such face, however, is an exactcounterpart in every way of the face'of the disk g, shown in Fig. 3. Thenarrow teeth a can enter between adjacent disks, meshing with the teethof one, at any time.

The operation of the mechanism is as fol lows:Supposing the parts to bein the condition shown at A, Fig. 5, rotation of the handle c in thedirection of the arrow 20 will rotate the actuator disk 0 and with itthe projection 0 it impinging on the edge 6 of the stop 0 on the lockingplate 0, and swinging said plate rearwardly on its pivot until theprojection has entered the cam surface formed by the edges 7 and 8 ofthe stops 0, 0 continued movement of the projection gradually.

moving the plate and the plunger d forward until it assumes the positionshown in Fig. 1, the projection then passing out from the cam surfaceuntil continued rotation brings it into the original position, the end 9of the stop 0 having, by the movement of the looking plate, been broughtinto the path of the projection, looking it from further rotation. Thisis shown in Fig. 1 and also in Fig. 5. During the described rotation ofthe actuator the first of the two teeth on its outer face has engagedone of the narrow teeth of the wheel m and turned it until the next widetooth has entered the recess between said teeth, the wide tooth at thesame time slipping in between two of the twenty teeth on the inner faceof the units indicator g, so that continued rotation of the actuatormoves the star wheel m slightly, and the indicator 0 a distance of twospaces, the next narrow tooth passing into the second space of disk 0,and the next succeeding wide tooth resting against the periphery of thesaid disk 0, the recess having been moved beyond it, so that the starwheel cannot rotate. This tooth, resting thus on the periphery, inconnection with the preceding narrow tooth engaging one of theteeth g ofthe indicator g, locks the latter from rotation, so that it is onlymoved on the next rotation of the actuator, the locking plate havingbeen moved back to its original position by releasing devices,comprising the plunger d, cam f and actuating means therefor. The unitsindicator is moved a distance of two spaces at each complete revolutionof the actuator, and as there are twenty such spaces, it takes tenrevolutions of the actuator to rotate the units indicator once. Therecess g on the disk of the units indicator is radially in line with thenumeral 1 on the end of the hub g, and when the said indicator has beenrotated once, indicating ten votes cast, the said recess will be broughtinto position to be entered by one of the wide teeth of the star wheel mat such time the numeral 1 on the units hub being radiallyin line withthe zero on the tens hub, and further rotation of the units indicatorwill, by the engagement of the wide tooth with the recess, turn the starwheel in and carry the tens in dicator forward two spaces or one step,so as to bring the numeral 1 into the indicating line. In like mannereach indicator actuates the next higher indicator one step for everycomplete rotation of the lower indicator, so that units, tens, hundredsand thousands are counted up and registered by the aid of the starwheels mflmim and m each star wheel locking the corresponding indicatorfrom overrunning in the same manner as has been described for the starwheel m, a wide tooth resting against the periphery of thelowerindicatoruntil the recess has, by the revolution of such indicator, been broughtinto position to be entered by said tooth. As has been stated, the votercan only see the numerals on the units indicator, and y can thus tellWhether he has registered his own vote or not, and when the voting isfinished the top plate a may be removed and the count of each mechanismread off, although it is obvious that a portion of such top plate may bemade separable just over the counting mechanism, so that it could beremoved without moving the whole plate. No voter can indicate more thanone vote on any mechanism, because the limiting step c on the lockingplate prevents another rotation of the actuator, the first rotation ofthe actuator automatically moving said stop into locking position at thesame time that the plunger (Z is moved forward between the slides.

It sometimes happens that a person after casting his vote, upondeliberation or from any other motive, desires to change or annul hisvote, before leaving the booth, and, in all the registering and countingdevices known to me, such change is impossible, and I have herein madesuch change possible, yet providing means for preventing the retrogrademovement of the counting mechanism for more than the single vote.

Referring to Fig. 1, supposing the vote to have been cast, to change thesame or withdraw it, the handle 0 is turned in the direction opposite tothe arrow 20, Fig. 5, until the projection c is brought again into thecam surface between the stops 0, 0 further rotation withdrawingtheplunger (Z and, through the star wheel m this time moved in a reversedirection, carrying the units indicator back one step, and if the handleis carried still farther in the same direction, the projection c isbrought up against the outer side of the stop 0 locking it from furtherrotation. It will thus be seen that the plate 0 looks the actuator fromrotation in either direction after it has been moved sufficiently toregister a vote or withdraw it. The projection c is rounded, as shown,to facilitate its passage through the cam surface.

\Vhcn a vote has been withdrawn the counting mechanism is in conditionto be used by the next voter, in such case however, the handle having tobe turned a little farther than would be the case if the parts were inthe position shown at A, Fig. 5, but as suitable directions would beplaced in the booth stating that the handle was always to be turned in acertain direction as far as possible in order to register a vote, noobjection would ensue from the greater movement required. When a votehas been registered and the plunger moved forward, the locking platethen preventing further rotation of the actuator, another count cannotbe made until the releasing device has been operated to move the lockingplate out of the path of the pro ection, and, as hereinbefore stated,the releasing device would be operated by the exit of the voter from thebooth.

YVhile I have shown in Fig. 1 only three counting mechanisms, and in asingle row, it

is, of course, to be understood that as many mechanisms as desired maybe included in any one row, and as many rows used as may be necessary,according to the circumstances of the case, my invention not being inany way limited to the number of rows or to the counting mechanism insaid rows.

I do not wish to restrict myself to the exact construction andarrangement of the various parts herein shown and described, as the samemay be somewhat altered and departed from, and yet come within the scopeof my invention.

In other voting mechanisms so far as I am aware, it has been customaryto rotate the counting disks by means of levers, pistons or pawls,dependence being placed upon springs or weights to insure action.

In this my invention I have dispensed with all such more or lesscomplicated and unreliable devices by connecting the actuating device,provided with a suitable handle, directly to the units disk by gearing,and operating it positively, to thereby rotate the said disk, thus doingaway with the evils incident to all complicated mechanism which isliable sooner or later to become inefficient and to discredit the sureand positive action of the counting apparatus, which, to properlyfulfill the important use for which it is designed, should be absolutelyaccurate. I also provide means whereby each voter can see that his voteis registered by partially exposing the units disk,so thatits properrotation may be observed.

As the other disks are not exposed, the total prior vote is not known toany Voter unless such total vote be less than the amount registered bythe units disk alone.

I claim 1. In a voting apparatus, the combination with a series ofindependent ballot-counting mechanisms arranged in groups, and a lookingplate, and a releasing device including a plunger, for and connectedwith each mechanism, combined with a series of removable slidesseparated by said plungers, guides for the slides, stops at the ends ofthe series separated a predetermined distance, movement of one or moreof the mechanisms throwing the locking plate into operative position andmo'ving the connected plunger to separate the slides and fill the spacebetween the stops, whereby one or more mechanisms may be operated andthe others made inoperative, and means. to actuate the releasing devicesto simultaneously retract the extended plungers and to release thecounting mechanism, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a series of counting mechanisms, and a plungerconnected to and positively actuated by each mechanism and havingabeveled outer end and an adjacent enlarged portion, of a guide parallelto said series of mechanisms, fixed stops at the ends, and slidesmovable longitudinally in the guide and normally separated by theprojecting beveled ends of the plungers, the total movement of saidslides being substantially equal to the enlarged portion of apredetermined number of plungers, whereby only a corresponding number ofcounting mechanisms can be operated to move the plunger connected toeach and thereby move the slides longitudinally against the stops, tothus regulate the number of counting mechanisms which may be operated ata time, substantially as described.

3. In a voting apparatus, the combination with a series of positivelyand directly actuated ballot counting mechanisms, and stopping devicesbetween and op rated directly by said mechanisms to permit apredetermined number of mechanisms in the series to be operated, of aseries of pivoted locking plates, one for and connected to eachmechanism, moved directly by rotation thereof into position to look itsown particular counting mechanism when one ballot has been cast, andreleasing devices to act upon the locking plates of the operatedmechanisms and restore them to normal position, substantially asdescribed.

4. A base plate, a recess therein, a post rigidly secured to the plate,a pivoted locking plate, and a plunger connected thereto and movable insaid recess, combined with an actuator rotatable on said post, a seriesof indicators concentric therewith, mechanism intermediate said actuatorand indicators, whereby rotation of the actuator moves the adjacentindicator step by step, it in turn moving the other indicators toregister or count, and a projection moved by the actuator to throw thelocking plate into position to hold the mechanism inoperative after eachstep until released, substantially as described.

5. In a voting apparatus, a post, an actuator thereon including arotatable disk with a projection on its inner and a recess and two teethon its outer sides and having a sleevelike hub surrounding said post,and a pivoted stop-carrying plate having a cam surface thereon to be attimes engaged and moved by the projection, combined with a series ofseparate concentric number-indicators each supported by the hub and diskof the preceding indicator and rotatable with relation to the actuatorand to each other, a disk for each indicator provided with a series ofteeth on one side and two teeth and a recess on the other side, a seriesof star wheels having alternate wide and narrow teeth adapted at timesto mesh with the series of teeth on one disk and the two teeth of thenext disk and rotate the disks simultaneously, and a releasing devicefor the stop-carrying plate, substantially as described.

6. In a voting apparatus, counting mech= anism, a rotatable actuatortherefor, and a suitable projection carried thereby, combined with alocking plate having limiting stops, a

cam surface thereon formed by the two contiguous edges of said stops andadapted to be entered by said projection when rotated in eitherdirection, to move the locking plate and bring one or the other stepinto the path of the projection, to lock the actuator from furtherrotation in that direction, substantially as described.

7. In a counting or registering mechanism, a units indicator, anactuator to move it one unit or step at a time, and a suitableprojection carried thereby, combined with a locking plate having alimiting stop thereon and adapted to be moved by said projection, and areleasing device for said plate, movement of the actuator advancing theindicator one unit, the projection on the actuator engaging the lockingplate and moving it to bring the limiting step into engagement with saidprojection, at the conclusion of its rotation whereby the actuator andindicator are locked from movement, substantially as described.

8. In a counting mechanism, a units indicator and actuating mechanismtherefor provided with a suitable projection, combined with a lockingplate having a cam surface and limiting stops, and independent means tomove said cam surface into the path of said projection, rotation of saidprojection bringing it into engagement with said cam surface and movingthe plate to bring the stops into the path of the projection at theconclusion of its rotation,to thereby limit its rotation in eitherdirection, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. A booth, a closure therefor, inclosed counting mechanism movable stepby step to count and register the successive votes cast, and an actuatortherefor accessible to and operable by the voter to advance the countingmechanism one step to indicate his vote or to retract said step tothereby annul his vote so indicated, if desired, combined with lookingdevices to prevent alteration of the registered votes, and connectionsbetween the closure and locking devices whereby the exit of the voteractuates said locking devices and also automatically frees the actuatorfor the registration of the next vote,substantially as described.

10. A voting apparatus containing the following instrumentalities,viz:-a series of manually actuated counting disks to register successivevotes cast, mechanism under the control of a voter to effect aretrograde movement of said disks to cancel, withdraw or change his votewhen cast, and a locking device to prevent registration of more than asingle vote at a time, combined with means beyond the control of thevoter to effect a release of said locking device to permit registrationof a succeeding vote in like manner, substantially as described.

11. In a voting apparatus, a series of inter dependent counting disksprovided with characters, and a units disk movable step by step 6 sonatato actuate the other disk and thereby regisname to this specification inthe presence of ter accumulatively successive impulses or twosubscribing witnesses. movements, combined with a shield or cover forsaid disks provided with an opening, CHARLES F. ROPER. 5 through whichthe characters upon the units \Vitnesses:

disk are exposed, substantially as described. HENRY LAWRENCE,

In testimony whereof I have signed my EDWARD 'l. ROSS.

